1. Field
This invention relates to, inter alia, methods of utilizing a wafer-centric database to improve system throughput.
2. Related Art
The handling of workpieces such as wafers within a semiconductor manufacturing environment can present significant computing challenges. Hardware such as process modules, handlers, valves, robots, and other equipment are commonly assembled from a variety of different manufacturers each of which may provide proprietary or pre-compiled software unsuitable for a newly conceived process. In addition, fabrication-wide software typically compiles relevant data as simple, chronological logs of output from sensors, process modules, controllers, and the like, so that finding information for handler or wafer-specific processing requires an initial search of all of the potentially relevant log files for data, followed by processing the search results into a form suitable for process control such as scheduling decisions.
There remains a need for improved software suitable for real-time control of semiconductor manufacturing processes.